Brexit bill latest: Government loses Parliament vote as MPs back EU Withdrawal Bill amendment

A packed House of Commons voted on the bill.
AFP/Getty Images
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Theresa May’s Government has lost a key vote on Brexit as MPs backed a rebel amendment to give Parliament the final say on any exit deal.

The Government was defeated by a majority of just four - 309 votes to 305 – after rebel Tories backed an amendment by ringleader Dominic Grieve.

It is the first Brexit vote the PM has lost in the Commons.

The amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill calls for a “meaningful vote” on the terms of the UK’s final Brexit agreement, effectively handing Parliament more powers.

PM Mrs May had rejected the amendment put forward, saying it risked delaying the Brexit process.

In a last minute bid to stave off the uprising, Mrs May had insisted MPs would "have a meaningful vote" before the UK leaves the EU on March 29, 2019.

Rebel ringleader Dominic Grieve.
PA

Another dramatic last-minute concession by justice minister Dominic Raab was dismissed as "too late" by Mr Grieve.

Following the tense Parliament vote, many MPs took to Twitter to hail Parliament "taking back control".

Tory rebel Nicky Morgan tweeted: "Tonight Parliament took control of the EU Withdrawal process."

While some would-be rebels such as George Freeman and Vicky Ford said Mr Raab's promise of fresh limits on powers in the Bill was enough for them to back down, it was not enough for the Government to avoid defeat.

As Mrs May prepared to travel to a Brussels summit on Thursday where European Union leaders are expected to rubber-stamp Brexit negotiations moving on to trade, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "This defeat is a humiliating loss of authority for the Government on the eve of the European Council meeting.

"Labour has made the case since the referendum for a meaningful vote in Parliament on the terms of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

"Theresa May has resisted democratic accountability. Her refusal to listen means she will now have to accept Parliament taking back control."

A Government spokeswoman said: "We are disappointed that Parliament has voted for this amendment despite the strong assurances that we have set out.

"We are as clear as ever that this Bill, and the powers within it, are essential.

"This amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day. We will now determine whether further changes are needed to the Bill to ensure it fulfils its vital purpose."

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